You don’t need a tiresome workout to get a flat belly. You just need to eat the right food. Get to know the foods that can help you burn your belly fat.
Antioxidant-rich foods
Every colour of vegetable contains a different type and amount of antioxidants. If you only eat one or two colours, you will miss out on some potent belly fat and disease fighters.
1. Orange and yellow vegetables
- Carrots, corn, pumpkin, summer squash, sweet potatoes, yellow and orange peppers, yellow tomatoes
- These vegetables contain high levels of vitamins A and C, which can help decrease oxidative stress and cut down on the stress hormones in the body that can store belly fat.
2. Green vegetables
- Asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cucumbers, green beans, kale, lettuce, spinach, zucchini
- Like orange and yellow vegetables, they are rich in vitamins A and C.
- Green leafy vegetables are a fantastic source of folic acid, which plays a critical role in protein digestion and metabolism. Adequate folic acid helps ensure that protein is metabolized properly and helps your body’s insulin levels remain stable. Consuming foods rich in folic acid may help stabilise insulin levels better, decreasing the storage of belly fat.
3. White vegetables
- Cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, potatoes, turnips
- These are coloured by pigments called anthoxanthins, which contain disease-fighting chemicals like allicin. This chemical may help reduce overall cholesterol and blood pressure levels as well as fight off inflammation in the body.
4. Red and purple vegetables
- Beets, eggplant, red cabbage, red onions, red peppers, tomatoes
- The red colouring of these vegetables is an indication that they have high phytochemical lycopene, a potent antioxidant that can protect your heart (by decreasing the build-up of plaque in your arteries) and may even protect against cancers like prostate cancer.
5. Starchy vegetables
- Beans and lentils, corn, peas, plantains, potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash (acorn, butternut, spaghetti, pumpkin), yams
- These vegetables are good for you in limited quantities. They are still loaded with healthy and belly-shrinking benefits, but they have higher carbohydrates and calories, so they cannot be consumed in unlimited quantities. Eating too many of these vegetables may slow down your weight loss progress.
Omega-rich foods
Omega-rich foods are rich in protein. You will burn more calories digesting protein than you do when you eat fats or carbs. If you’re not eating plenty of omega-rich foods—sardines, salmon, halibut, walnuts, flax seeds, and dark leafy greens—you should be! If you’re not getting enough easily, you can take flax seed-oil or fish supplement.
Magnesium-rich foods
Foods rich in magnesium are extremely weight loss friendly, including protein-rich fish and nuts, lentils, soy and black beans, and fibre-rich grains like bran.
Calcium-rich foods
Milk is the most calcium-rich food. Others include sardines, fortified orange juice, tofu, and dark leafy greens like kale and spinach.
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